Golf ball



April 1932- R. H. HAZELTINE 1,855,448

GOLF BALL Filed April 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 26, 1932. R H, Tm- 1,855,448

' GOLF BALL Filed April 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 awueulioz fawn. in-M W, W T WQW Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE ROBERT n. HAZELTINE, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR rro SPECIAIQTY MACHINE con PANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION on NEW YORK GOLF BALL Application filed April 7,

This invention relates to improvements in golf balls and more particularly relates to improvements in such balls to provide for greater distance of flight.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of means for attaining greater flight distances by the. provision of novel means for increasing the flexibility of the cover portion of the ball. 7

A further object of the present invention resides in the provisionof a novel combination of core and cover and supplemental means adapted to cooperate with the cover to provide for internally weakening said cover at certain points to thereby afford increased flexibility of the cover portion.

Another object resides in the provision of means for internally and externally locally weakening the cover to provide, by the rela tive cooperation of such weakening portions, a ball which attains a greater distance of flight by permitting the core to be more readily reacted upon by a hitting blow.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of means for provid ing an improved ball having better playing characteristics and at a decreased cost.

A further object in the present invention resides in the provision of a construction whereby hitting spot areas are disposed in a more broken up manner'than heretofore. Provision is further made so that each hitting spot is completely localized by the cooperative disposition and relative inner and outer configuration of the cover and such arrangement affords a better action when the ball is in use.

In the drawings:

Figures 1, 2, 3, 4: and 5 show golf balls embodying the present improvement.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Golf balls as ordinarily made comprise a core portion which is usually a rubber thread wound upon a center, which center some times is of rubber and sometimes of other material. Over this core is molded-a cover usually formed of balata gum. Such cover por- 1928. Serial N0.'268,167.

.tion is commonly provided with recess pits or dimples. Ordinarily the depth of these recesses is maintained from eleven to fourteen thousandths of an inch and the recesses are generally assumed to have a controlling influence upon the proper and straight flight of the ball.

I have found that the flight characteristics of golf balls may be improved, their flight distance bettered, and the cost of productlon lowered by providing means for interiorly relatively weakening thecover. Such weakening is preferably correlated to the weakening of the cover which is afforded by the outer external recesses or dimples upon the outside of the cover. By this correlating the inner weakening with the outer weakening, the cover flexibility may be very much increased over covers now in use. While flexibility. of the cover may be increased with present golf balls by merely deepening the outer recesses and without interior-1y changing the characteristics of the cover, it has been found that outer deepening alone is limited because if carried to excess even by as much as three or four thousandths of an inch, that the flight distgiince of the ball will be materially shortene i According to the present invention the flight distance may be maintained or increased by obtaining increased flexibility of the cover by modifying its interior construction. Byweakening the cover interiorly it is possible to use even relatively shallower depressions exteriorly of the cover than are now used. The exactmanner of securing such results can be widely varied.

According to the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 15 a conventional core 10 is used, over this is'placed a mesh work structure 11 preferably formed in two halves to facilitate molding and manufacture. The mesh work is preferably of molded soft rubber and the characteristics of this mesh work is such that its flexibility is relatively greater than that of the cover material. Over this mesh work is molded a cover 12 which is of the usual balata gum. Such cover preferably has upon its outer surface pits or recesses 13, which are formed by the molding operation. By referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the outer recesses 13 are offset with respect to the openings of the mesh work through which the cover material extends and unites with the core. Such outer recesses 13 and the intervening ridges of cover material are here shown as traversed underneath by the ridges of the mesh work. This relation of the inner mesh work to the recesses and ridges of the outer cover afi'ords localized inter-connecting weakening portions or grooves together with a multiplicity of local ized hitting areas of cover material which extend directly from the outside of the cover to the core. The internal mesh work afiords weakening recesses or grooves interiorly of or within the cover and thereby secures increased flexibility of the cover without requiring such a degree of depth of external marking or recessing which would detract from the flight characteristics of the ball. The mesh work being of rubber is relatively cheaper than the balata which it replaces and in this way the cost of producing the ball is diminished.

Fig. 2 shows a ball incorporating substantially the same underlying principles as above outlined for the ball of Fig. 1. The detailed differences of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 are that the mesh work 1100 in place of being of rectangular configuration comprises a series of tangentially circular rubber portions relatively disposed out of alignment and indiscriminately related or offset relatively to the outer recesses 13.

Fig. 3 shows a ball with a rectangularly arranged mesh work 11 and with circular pits or recesses 13a upon the cover 12 which pits are likewise indiscriminately related or offset relatively to the mesh work. Such construction likewise provides for increasing the flexibility of the cover and also affords a multiplicity of localized hitting areas by the parts of the cover stock which extend from the coverperiphery to the core.

Fig. 4 shows a ball with a circular mesh work 11a and circular pits or recesses 13a in the cover 12 dipsosed in offset relation to each other.

Fig. 5 shows a modification wherein the internal weakening of the cover and the provision of increasing flexibility and the localization of the hitting spots or areas is secured by indiscriminately disposing relatively coarse rubber strands 11?), which project up to a considerable extent from the core so as to closely approach the bottom of the external recesses in the cover. Such strands are of proper size to make internal grooves of appreciable and material depth upon the inner surface of the cover. The last or outer core wrappings to produce such results should he therefore, relatively thicker than those now in use or comprise a multiplicity of threads of small diameter extending along together because such strands or multiple threads must make grooves of appreciable depth interiorly of the cover.

Fig. 7 shows in very much enlarged sections, the efiect of providing the interior mesh work 11. It shows the core 10, the mesh work 11, the cover 12, the recesses 13 with weakening zones attained by the coop erative action of the recesses 13 and ridges 15 of the mesh work which afford grooves indicated by the dotted line 16 and by the bound ary of the cross-section ridges 15. The local ized through hitting areas of the cover are indicatedby the column of cover stock indicated by such areas as are shown between the dotted lines 17. It is to be noted that the cover stock at this point extends directly and uninterruptedly and without weakening fromthe core to the outer periphery of the cover.

Preferably the mesh work in its thickness is relatively thicker than the cover material over it and the groove formed by the mesh work or by the strands 116 are preferably deeper than the overlying cover material. As before stated both the mesh work 11, 11a or the strands 116 are also of flexible and yielding material. The material in each case being of soft rubber is relatively more flexible than the balata material and such flexibility is required to provide for the proper deformation of the ball when in use and under the blow. If the mesh work were relatively stiffer than the cover material, it would act to cause the cover as a whole to be less flexible notwithstanding the grooves or internal depressions in it.

The present invention constitutes an improvement upon the subject matter disclosed in my copending application, Serial No.

156,835, filed December 24, 1926, which application relates to the mesh work and to methods of making balls incorporating such mesh work. The present application constitutes a continuation in part of the aforesaid application Serial No. 156,835.

It is it be further stated that by properly securing increased flexibility interiorly of the cover portion of the ball that the depths of recesses can be diminished to a desired er:- tent, such diminishing may extend even to zero, but in practice it is preferable to have some external markings on the cover because users are accustomed to such markings.

lVhat I claim is:

1. Agolf ball comprising a core and cover and a yielding intermediate structure, said structure afi'ording internal interconnected depression markings of extensive depth and width in the cover, and said cover having indentation external markings in approximate registry with the. interconnected extensive internal markings as to provide both greater fl xibility to the cover and also a multiplicity of areas of hitting material between said markings formed of-cover material which extend directlyfrom the outer periphery of the cover to the core.

2. A olf ball comprising a core and cover and means for increasing the flexibility of the cover, comprising internal depression markings of extensive depth and width in said cover and in direct proximity to the core and also external indentation markings on said cover in substantial registry with said depression markings, which markings are so disposed rela ively to each other to provide a multiplicity of intersecting and crossing, substantially weakened and more flexible portions of the cover with intermediate more rigid portions of said cover. v

3. A golf ball comprising a core and cover, means for forming in said cover uponits internal surface directly adjacent the core, a plurality of depression markings of extensive depth and width, and external indentation markings upon said cover so relatively disposed in substantial registry with the internal markings as to provide increased flexi- 1 bility to the cover by affording a multiplicity f thin bending zones, each zone being interconnected to the other and adjacent zones. 4:. A golf ball comprising a core and cover, means comprising material more yielding than the cover, forming in said cover upon its internal surface a plurality of depression markings of extensive depth and width, which markings extend in close proximity to the outer periphery of the cover, said cover having external indentation markings in substantial registry with the internal markings as to provide increased flexibility of the cover by affording a multiplicity of thin and interconnected bending zones, said cover furthermore comprising a multiplicity of intermediate portions of the cover material whichextend directly from the core to the outer periphery of the cover to provide a multiplicity of spaced hitting areas.

5. A golf ball comprising a core and cover and means comprising a structure which is relatively more flexible than the cover material for forming in said cover upon its inner surface adjacent the core, a. plurality of depression markings in the form of interconnected grooves which are relatively deeper than the cover material over them for the purpose described.

6. A golf ball comprising a core and cover,

and means wholly within and below the surface of the cover and abutting the core, and comprised of material more compressible and yielding than the cover to provide a. multiplicity of relatively hard hitting areas which are distinctly separated each from another adjacent area by relatively soft areas, said relatively hard hitting areas being comprised of the cover material. itself which at its dis- 65 tinctively separated areas extends from the outer periphery of the cover uninterruptedly to the core to abut directly thereon.

7. A golf ball with increased flight characteristics, comprising core and a cover, and means underneath the cover and adjacent and abutting said core having portions projecting upwardly into the cover material to a point in close proximity to the outer peripheryof the cover to afford interconnected internal depression markings of substantial depth and width in the cover material, said means comprising a structure which has increased fiexi bility with respect to that of the cover material whereby flexibi ity of the cover and the flight characte istics of the ball are improved, said cover material at points intermediate the internal markings, provided by the structure,

xtending from the periphe'y of the cover directly to the core to provide hard hitting areas.

8. A golf ball including a core and cover portion, and a supplementary structure within the cover portion and including two parts each comprising a substantially open mesh work of a material relatively more compressible than the cover material to yield more than said material under a striking blow, said mesh work projecting into the interior of the cover providing interconnected groove-like internal markings of substantial depth and width in the cover which are filled with the relatively more compressiblemesh like material.

9. A golf ball comprising a core, a cover portion, and a supplementary structure of mesh work configuration with open interstices of greater area than the intervening mesh work, said cover portion having its material extending in direct columns through the mesh work and united with the core and said mesh work being relatively more com pressible and flexible and yielding to a greater extent under striking blows than the material of the cover portion, said mesh work of said supplementary structure projecting into the interior surface of the cover to provide interconnected groove-like internal markings of extensive and substantial depth and width on the inside of the cover which markings are filled with the soft material of the mesh work.

10. A golf ball comprising a core, a cover portion, and a supplementary structure of mesh work configuration with open interstices of greater area than the intervening mesh work, said cover portion having its material covering over the mesh wo-rk and said mesh work being relatively more flexible and yielding to a greater extent under striking blows than the material of the cover portion, said mesh work of said supplemental structure abutting the core and projecting into the interior of the cover to provide interconnected groove-like internal markings on the inside of the cover of substantial width and depth and extending into close proximica iio

iis

ity to the outer periphery of the cover which markings are filled with the soft material of the mesh work.

11. A golf ball comprising a core, a cover portion, and a supplementary structure of mesh work configuration said cover portion having its material both covering over the ridges of the mesh work and extending through the interstices thereof and uniting with the core, said mesh work being relatively thicker than the thickness of the cover material over the ridges of the mesh work, said mesh work of said supplemental structure projecting into the interior of the cover to provide interconnected groove-like internal markings on the inside of the cover which markings are filled with the soft material of the mesh work.

12. A supplemental structure for incorporation in a golf ball to improve the playing character thereof comprising a substantially open mesh work formed of a material having different physical characteristics from the cover of the ball, said material of the mesh work being relatively more compressible and flexible than the material of the cover portion of the ball, said mesh work of said supplemental structureprojecting into the interior of the cover to provide interconnected grove-like internal markings on the inside of the cover of substantial depth and Width which markings are filled with the soft material of the mesh work.

13. A golf ball comprising a core, a pair of soft rubber mesh work structures thereover and a homogeneous cover portion penetrating the interstices of the mesh work, said mesh work when overlaid by the cover material affording interconnected Q'roovedike internal markin s in the cover material which markings are filled with the mesh work material and which markings extend in close proximity to the outer periphery of the cover.

14. A golf ball comprising a core, a pair of soft rubber mesh work structures thereover and a homogeneous cover portion penetrating the interstices of the mesh work and united to the core and having homogeneous portions overlying the mesh work, said mesh work under the cover portions providing interconnected internal groove-like markings on the inside surface of the cover which are filled with the material of the mesh work and which markings extend in close proximity to the outer periphery of the cover.

15. A golf ball including a core and a cover, a supplementary structure of mesh work for mation having open portions of substantial extent abutting the core, said mesh work being further relatively more flexible than the cover material, said mesh work extending into the interior of the cover and afiording interconnected internal groove-like markings therein of substantial depth and width and which extend in close proximity to the outer nature.

ROBERT H. HAZELTINE. 

